New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-22
FREE Rum OR NO Rum.

Catching pig with a creased tail is COM
monty held to he tolerably difficult undertake
ing, but II surely is not nearly so hard a thing
TO do MS getting the Prohbitionists to discuss
the liquor question on the basis Of cold facts
y perusal Of the reports Of the rubbish talked
at the meeting against high license held in this
city on Sunday must convince all sane minds
of this The object being TO diminish drink
ing and the evils which flow from it. in New
York, one might think that all who really
favored temperance would unite in supporting
the most practical and effective measure pro-
posed One would certainly expect that meas
ures the impracticability of which is a foregone
conclusion, would at such time be let alone.
But those who counted Rpon any such reason
able line of action knew very little OF the
Prohibtionist intelligence, which is strange
and marvellous entity, and which scorns con-
sistcncy, logic and every sort OF rcctilncar
thinking. High license being practical measure
and one which the saloon-kccpers have proved
the effectiveness Of by their violent opposition
TO it, the Prohibitonists, while loudly proclaim
ing their devotion to the cause of temperance.
calmly range themselves in line with the rum
Sellers and declare that they will he content
with no legislation save that which they know
perfectly well to be unattainable.
Prohibition they cry, or Free Rum. Which
shows that their professions of devotion to
the cause Of temperance are false prctenccS for
they deliberately admit their willingness to let
the drink evil have full sway, rather than fore
60 the demand for wholly impossible meas
ure Not one Of ,hem il is true. has vcnturcd
to define their position not one has venturcd
TO declare a belief that Prohibition Is possible
in New-York. They are not quite silly enough
to commit themselves TO that position. and yet
goodness knows they are silly enough. They
do not like to he told that they have allied
themselves with the rm-sclers, but it is an
incontesia able fact, and no dcnials can affect it
one particle There Is absolutely no room for
choice at this moment between the Prohibl-
tionists and the liquor-dealcrs. They occupy
the same platform. They are working to the
same end They are equally the enemies Of
Temperance. They are equally the defenders OF
Free Rum. That they cannot see this only
goes to show their incaDacity 10 reason and to
draw conclusions. They confess themselves
people unable to construct a true syllog1sm
Nothing can I've more prcpostcrOus than their
positions, nothing more inconseQuent than their
conclusions. They arc fanatics, yet their fac
ulties arc so little under their control that they
of,ener fight their own cause than defend IT.
At present they are out sQuarely for Free Rum
for that and nothing else is the implication OF
their fatuous pretenco that No Rum Is pos
sible solution of the problem. clear-hcaded
public cannot he mistaken on this point, how
ever. High license. the one effective measure
the enactment Ct which is possible in New
York, is being fought by the advocates OF Free
Rum. and these advocates Of Free Rum are OF
two denominations the one called Rum-scllcrs.
and the other called ProhibitionistS.